Via the Japanese XBLA blog, we've found out what appears to be the final price for the upcoming Summer of Arcade games for Xbox Live. What's interesting to note is that two of these games will be quite expensive, with one of them potentially becoming the most expensive XBLA game to date if the information holds true. Learn more after the jump.

It looks like Microsoft is pulling out all the stops in making the rest of summer feel like an Xbox Live joyride. Microsoft has announced a slew of upcoming releases, even coming out with a 100,000 MS Point promotion. Yes folks, that's 100,000 MS points. Learn more after the jump!

Xbox Live Arcade fans have something to be thankful for now that The Behemoth has finally completed development on its highly celebrated action platformer, Castle Crashers. Game designer Dan Paladin recently made this proud announcement on the game's official devblog and gave out some additional details regarding the game's upcoming release. Find out more about what Paladin said by clicking on the "read more" link below.

When it comes to downloadable video games on the Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft seems to want them small and easily digestible. Or at least, there are currently no plans to lift the 150MB file size limit imposed on developers who want to make games for the service. Read the full article to learn more.

Multiplayer mayhem in the spirit of Super Smash Bros. is hard to come by, which is why the upcoming Castle Crashers carries much promise. From the fame of Alien Hominid, The Behemoth is currently working on a title for Xbox Live Arcade that will put four players together in fast-paced combat.

Behind the facade of wacky characters and simplistic design in Castle Crashers are strategic elements to keep the competition alive. Stages are varied, and taking advantage of the terrain is important to gain victory. Power ups can also turn the tide of battle, making them important to collect.

If free for all face-offs get repetitive, there are other game modes in Castle Crashers to play around with. One equips your characters with bows and arrows in a brutal match, while another strips you bare naked with chickens as weapons.

What is game developer The Behemoth best known for? Alien Hominid for one and of course, pure unadulterated mayhem. Their new side-scroller Castle Crashers is promising to deliver that plus so much more.

We have two gameplay videos of Castle Crashers shown at the Game Developers Conference (GDC): Barbarian Bash and Castle Destruction. Barbarian Bash features four players and a boss that even Goliath would be afraid of. Castle Destruction on the other hand features two players going against hordes upon hordes of enemy soldiers. (The rain of arrows reminded us briefly of 300.)

Anyway, notice that different colored knights have different special attacks and weapons. We noticed the boomerang and bow and arrows alternates with the sword. Special attacks include the ice shards and the green plumes that we assume to be poison.

There hasn't been any word as to when the release is exactly (in Xbox Live Arcade) but rest assured that we'll keep a close eye on Castle Crashers by The Behemoth. We'll stop rambling for now and leave you to enjoy the videos.

The other castle crashing video right after the jump!

Game developer The Behemoth is responsible for Xbox Live Arcade titles Alien Hominid and up and coming beat 'em up multiplayer Castle Crashers. During the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2007, The Behemoth received the Audience Choice Award for Castle Crashers. Creator Dan Paladin, himself, went up the stage and claimed the award.

Quite unexpectedly though, Paladin then mentioned to those who are in attendance that Castle Crashers is being pushed back to 2008. He mentioned that the game still has "about a year of development left". Back in July of 2006, it would be remembered that The Behemoth promised an early 2007 release.

When asked why the game's going to be delayed, Paladin commented that the boosts in the Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) size limit allowed them to include even more content and features to Castle Crashers, making it a fuller and more satisfying adventure overall.

Are we surprised? Nope, not really. The Aquaria trailer alone was enough to steal our breath away. Apparently, in the GDC, it got the attention of the crowd too. The 9th Annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) awarding was held in the said developers conference. Bit-Blot's majestic side-scrolling underwater action adventure bagged the grand prize, along with US$ 20,000 plus sponsor-related prizes.

Check out the full list of winners:

Seumas McNally Grand Prize
Aquaria - Bit Blot
Design Innovation
Everyday Shooter - Queasy Games
Excellence In Visual Art
Castle Crashers - The Behemoth
Best Web Browser Game
Samorost 2 - Amanita Design
Excellence In Audio
Everyday Shooter - Queasy Games
Technical Excellence
Bang! Howdy - Three Rings Design
Audience Award
Castle Crashers - The Behemoth
GameTap Awards
Everyday Shooter - Queasy Games
Blast Miner - Cryptic Sea
RoboBlitz - Naked Sky Entertainment

Congratulations to all the winners. Hopefully, this has given them some massive exposure to the movers and shakers of the industry, thus giving them a chance to mass market their indie games.

The world is full of stupid people. Really really stupid people. I'm probably one of them. It's easy to say that - just think of the huge number of people who are probably smarter than you.

We think that the number one thing that causes you to instantaneously call somebody stupid is that they have to annoy you in some way and then they have to be total strangers. Admit it. You do it every day as you walk down the street. You say things like: "Whoops he looks pretty stupid!" or "Oh that stupid annoying git!" or "This person in front of me walks a bit too slow... stupid." Having said all that, what is it about the video above that really annoys you?

Is it because the brown little things are probably white when then take off their brown hoods? Is it because that it's plainly obvious that those little things in white with swords look more like knights than cultists from the KKK?

Try to take into account the number of stupid people you encounter each day. Then realize that everyone around you probably has a similar experience. That should give you a nice idea of the number of "annoying" people in this world. Frightening thought right?

Well, there are annoying people in this world, and then there are people who take offense too easily. While we recognize the legitimacy of the old lady's concerns, the developers of the Xbox Live Arcade game Castle Crashers, The Behemoth, obviously did not have anything offensive in mind when they made this game.

Sigh. So much for "Ye Olde Sidescroller."

Game Informer has revealed that the hip indie developers The Behemoth has found a name for its new 4-player side-scrolling action brawler - Castle Crashers. If you'd recall, the company debuted the then-unnamed game (albeit in alpha version) on the GameCube at the Comic-Con 2005. Castle Crashers is slated for an early 2007 release for the Xbox Live Arcade. There's no word on pricing and whether the game will be released on other platforms.

Also, Alien Hominid devotees would be thrilled to know that the game will also become available for Xbox Live Arcade this Holiday. While the two-player co-op is highly possible, The Behemoth has yet to confirm the said game feature.

Alien Hominid features a little yellow alien who has been shot down by the FBI and crash-landed on Earth, and must retrieve his stolen spacecraft from the FBI.